Lawn care

To help your lawn look its best this summer, mow the grass as recommended here.

Cut Bermuda grass when it's not quite 2 inches tall. For bluegrass and fescue, mow when the grass is 3 to 4 inches tall. Make sure the mower blades are sharp so cuts are clean.

1. Set your mower blade at a cutting height of 1 inch for common Bermuda, ½ inch for hybrid Bermuda, 2 inches for bluegrass and perennial ryegrass, and 3 inches for tall fescue. Never cut off more than the top third of the grass blades at one time. Don't cut too low either; scalping will harm the turf.

2. Overlap the mowing pattern. To start, make two passes across the top and bottom ends of the lawn. Then move up and down the lawn, slightly overlapping each row you've cut.

3. To give the lawn a tidy edge near gravel paths and adjacent flower beds, use a half-moon edger. Plunge the tool into the lawn's edge to cut off errant shoots